Bring troops home from Afghanistan

On Aug. 22, The New York Times published "The Roster of the Dead": Four pages of photos of American service members who have been killed in Afghanistan. Since the inception of that war began on Oct. 7, 2001, more than 2,000 of our troops have died, and the 1,000 photos in the Times honored the memory of the second half of the deceased so far.

I immediately placed the photos up on my wall for a visual reminder to "never forget" those who sacrificed their lives and the reason why they died.

Now that we have passed the 11th anniversary of the longest war in U.S. history, I agree with Rep. Dave Loebsack that we should bring our troops home from Afghanistan even before combat operations are scheduled to end in 2014.

I already voted for President Obama because he said he'd get us out of Iraq and Osama bin Laden is dead. I already voted for Loebsack because he is committed to his constituents.

Loebsack's work on the House Armed Services Committee also gives him a perspective on military and veteran's affairs that I respect.

It's time for Afghanistan to take care of their own security and bring our people home.

There's no reason to continue paying in U.S. lives, resources, and the overall health of veterans for a Vietnam II!